UMass Lowell has established policies and guidelines to assist you in the planning of your conference, meeting or special event.

These policies and guidelines cover events occurring in all university spaces including but not limited to classrooms, auditoriums, meeting spaces, lobbies, hallways, athletic fields (non-Athletic events), green space, and parking garages/lots.

Please take some time to read through these policies and guidelines as they may pertain to you, your department, or your organization:

In general, events occurring on campus, other than at the Inn and Conference Center, should be in accordance with the University mission. Events sponsored by organizations or companies will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Personal or private events are allowed with approval from the Chancellor’s Office. UMass Lowell facilities may not be used in violation of federal or state laws.

Fees / Event Service Charges

Event sponsors will be required to pay for event services as determined by the Chancellor’s Office and Administration and Finance. Rates are subject to change. Please contact Hospitality & Event Services for pricing at 978-934-3888.

The following are considered event services and may be subject to charge:

Room set ups and tear downs

Resource transport around campus

Carpentry, electrical or HVAC work

Cleaning required resulting from an event

Audio-visual equipment, set up and operation

Guest parking if unavailable on campus or shuttle service

Police details necessitated by event

Use of non-durable equipment or supplies from facilities or special events offices

Event furniture owned by the University

Administrative support

Event Sponsors /Requestors

Requests for reservations may be submitted by student clubs and organizations, academic and administrative departments, and external entities. Individuals may make reservations only as a representative of one of these entities. All student clubs and organizations must process their requests through Student Activities. Sponsors must designate an individual who will serve as the primary event contact for Hospitality & Event Services. If the University is a sponsor or co-sponsor, a University contact should be named. This contact will be the sponsor’s single point of contact with the University for planning, and a sponsor representative must be in attendance at the event.

Catering

By contract, the campus food service provider has the right of first refusal to cater all campus events. Exceptions will only be allowed by the HES in consultation with the provider (ARAMARK). If an exception is allowed, the event sponsor will be responsible for providing all supplies necessary for the provision of food, including linens, and will be responsible for the cost of post event clean-up.

Single-Point-of-Contact Reservation Procedures

All non-academic, event scheduling of University facilities is to be managed by the HES in collaboration with the Office of Student Activities, Athletics, Media Services and the Facilities Department. The HES will process all reservations for designated event spaces as noted above. Classrooms are to be scheduled in cooperation with the University Registrar’s office.

All Space/Event requests will be submitted to the HES office. Event Sponsors will submit a Reservation Request at events@uml.edu or via phone at 978-934-3888. HES will confirm availability of the space and forward each request to the appropriate event services department (i.e., Facilities, Police, Media, IT). As appropriate, those departments will return an estimate of cost or hours required for items such as transportation of equipment, set up/tear down, clean up, police, etc. HES will contact the sponsoring entity for approval of appropriate charges as found in the pricing Guide within this document. Once approved, HES will provide a written quote of cost and services, process payments.

HES will initiate a Memorandum of Agreement with all external event sponsors once an oral agreement has been reached.

For the purposes of this policy, a special event is a planned, non-class gathering of 10 or more people, and/or one that is held in a designated event area.

Submitting a Request

A reservation request form must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the date of an event, four to six weeks for events serving alcohol. Requests coming in later than that will not be guaranteed approval.

Major programs, such as concerts or conferences, require one-month advance submission of a reservation. Submitting this form is not a guarantee that a particular space is available. All necessary signatures and approvals are expected upon submission.

University facilities are generally available for use between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 12 a.m. during the week and until 1 a.m. on weekend nights. The University reserves the right to restrict or deny room reservation requests on special days such as holidays.

Requestors will receive a determination regarding their request within five business days.

Cancellations by Sponsor

If it is necessary to cancel an event that has had space reserved, the sponsor should contact HES at 978-934-3888 or events@uml.edu immediately so that another group can use that room. If a cancellation occurs less than 48 hours prior to the event, the event sponsor may still be responsible for charges.

Force of Nature / Cancellation by University

Please refer to Appendix A for the University’s cancellation policy in the event the University or desired facility is closed at the time of an event due to forces of nature.

Recurring Events

Recurring events, those occurring more than once a month over multiple months, will be scheduled no more than six weeks in advance to keep event spaces available to the broadest range of University use.

Insurance

Affiliated and External entities sponsoring events must provide proof of insurance as outlined in the Memorandum of Agreement as approved by the University’s administration and finance office.

Facility Damage

Any damage to UMass Lowell facilities will immediately be reported to the HES, facilities or the University police department. Cost to repair all damages other than normal wear and tear will be the responsibility of the event sponsors. If the facility is not returned in the same condition as received, cost of clean-up will be the sole responsibility of the event sponsor. Billing for these costs will be processed through the HES.

Nothing will be affixed to any facility (i.e., inside and outside walls, stage curtains, etc.) without approval by Hospitality & Event Services. It is highly recommended that a pre- and post-event walk-through is conducted with the HES to determine space conditions.

University Logo

No university logo appearing on a sign, podium, or other University structure shall be covered, or removed without approval from Hospitality & Event Services.

No University logo shall appear in event publicity for an externally sponsored event without permission from the university’s Office of University Relations. Logo use shall be governed by the university style guide.

Reservation Disclaimer

These facilities are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations shall be made through the HES. The HES reserves the right to assign or move events to the best available space if the requested space is unavailable. Reservations may be cancelled or moved per order of the Chancellor’s Office.